Apples for Rosh Hashanah

My best apple recipes for a sweet new year.

One of the symbols most often associated with Rosh Hashanah is the apple. Throughout the Jewish world families are dipping apples in honey and reciting the special blessing requesting God to renew for us a good and sweet year.

In keeping with the apple theme I’m happy to share with you some of my best apple recipes. Add a little honey and have a Shana Tova U’metuka – A Happy and Sweet New Year!

Apple Cinnamon Challah

(makes two 1 pound challahs or one 2 pound challah)

Here’s a fun way to have apples and honey on Rosh Hashanah. You can pleasantly surprise your Yom Tov guests when cutting into these beautiful challahs with a delicious apple cinnamon filling! You can use your favorite challah recipe or the one below. Just dip in honey and you’ve got a perfect apple and honey start to the Rosh Hashanah meal.

For the Filling

½ cup sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon cinnamon

½ cup all purpose flour

2 large apples peeled and finely diced (around ¾ pound each)

Challah

2 pounds challah dough, divided if making two 1-pound challahs

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then line with a parchment sheet. Set aside

In a small bowl combine the sugar, brown sugar, cinnamon and flour. Set aside.

For each challah, roll the dough into a 22” inch long log. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 22” x 10” inch rectangle, allowing the dough to rest periodically if necessary. Sprinkle with ¼ of the cinnamon-sugar mixture. Evenly top with half the diced apples, then sprinkle an additional ¼ of the cinnamon-sugar mixture over the apples. Tightly roll the challah (like a jelly roll), pinching along the seam and ends to tightly seal. Wind the challah into a circle, tucking the end under the challah for a clean finish. Place challah on baking sheet. Repeat with second challah. Cover loaves and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Bake for 40-45 minutes until deep golden brown. For a 2 pound challah bake for 45-50 minutes until cooked through.

Challah – 5 pounds of flour recipe

This rich challah is a perfect beginning to a fabulous Rosh Hashanah meal. This recipe will make enough challahs for the entire Yom Tov – or not…these challahs are so good your hungry crowd may want to eat them all on the first night!!

5 tablespoons yeast (or 3 packets)

1 cup water

1 tablespoon sugar

5 pounds bread flour

2 cup sugar

4 teaspoon salt

3 cups water

2 cups oil

8 large eggs

In a medium bowl, combine yeast, water and sugar. Mix to combine and set aside until foamy, around 5 minutes.

Combine flour, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in water, eggs, oil, and yeast mixture. Mix ingredients to combine, then knead until smooth and elastic. Spray bowl, place dough in bowl, then allow to rise for an hour until double in bulk. Shape into challahs. Cover loaves and allow to rise for 30 minutes. Bake standard one pound challahs for 20-30 minutes at 350° F until golden brown.

Apple Cinnamon Challah Kugel

With the arrival of Rosh Hashanah comes “Round Challah Season.” What are we supposed to do with all the regular braided challah that we have in our freezer? Super infused with apple flavor, using apple juice to moisten the challah/bread and fresh sliced apples…here’s a recipe that uses up all your old/frozen challah and bread, and is a perfect “apple-y” addition to your Yom Tov meal.

Place challah in a large bowl. Toss with cinnamon and sugar. Pour apple juice over the challah. Using a large spoon or spatula, stir until challah is moistened. Do not squeeze! Add eggs and oil and stir just to combine. Do not squeeze! Add sliced apples and stir just to evenly distribute the apples. Fold into the prepared pan. Combine 2 tablespoons sugar and teaspoon cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle over the kugel. Bake for 45 minutes until golden brown. Slice into squares and serve for a sweet new year!

Tangy Apple Chicken with Roasted Apples and Butternut Squash

With the bountiful fall harvest comes colorful squash and a vast assortment of flavorful apples! This tangy chicken gets its rich apple flavor from apple jelly and roasted apples. It’s lighter and better for you than fried chicken because it’s pan fried with non-stick vegetable spray and topped with healthy apples and squash. The jelly caramelizes as the chicken cooks so it’s especially delicious and pretty!

Tangy Apple Chicken

6 boneless chicken breast cutlets

1 18 ounce jar apple jelly

2 large eggs, lightly beaten

4 cups Panko bread crumbs (approximately ½ pound)

2 cups dried bread crumbs

½ tablespoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon onion powder

non-stick vegetable spray

Sauce

2 cups apple jelly

Place apple jelly in an 8x8 pan or medium bowl, stir to break apart large clumps of jelly. Place eggs in another 8x8 inch pan or medium bowl. Place the Panko bread crumbs in a casserole dish. Place the dried bread crumbs, garlic powder and onion powder in another casserole dish. Set aside.

Dip each cutlet in the eggs, shaking off excess, then dip in dried bread crumbs. Brush with apple jelly, then dip in Panko bread crumbs.

Heat a large skillet and spray with non-stick vegetable spray. Place the cutlets in the skillet and cook until the bottom of each cutlet begins to brown. Spray the cutlets with non-stick vegetable spray and then flip. Cook the cutlets until golden brown, adjusting the heat so that the cutlets don’t burn. Place on a serving tray and repeat with remaining chicken pieces. Melt remaining 2 cups of apple jelly in the microwave or in a small pot. Top with Roasted Apples and Butternut Squash and melted apple jelly sauce for a beautiful Yom Tov main course!

Note: For an even easier version of the Tangy Apple Chicken, season the Panko bread crumbs with onion powder and garlic powder, omit the dried bread crumbs and egg. Brush the moist chicken with apple jelly, then dip in the seasoned Panko bread crumbs – coating completely. Place on a foil lined cookie sheet sprayed with non-stick vegetable spray, and bake uncovered for 30 minutes at 350° F until golden brown.

Preheat oven to 425° F. Line a large rimmed cookie sheet with aluminum foil, spray with non-stick vegetable spray.

Place apples and squash in a large bowl. Apples & squash should be cut to the same size to ensure even cooking.

Microwave 1 cup of apple jelly, 30 seconds at a time until completely melted. Pour over the apples and squash. Add the two tablespoons of canola oil and toss to coat. Evenly sprinkle brown sugar over the apples and squash.

Roast uncovered 30 minutes until apples and squash are soft and slightly caramelized. Broil for 5 minutes to brown the tops of the apples and squash. Remove from oven and top Tangy Apple Chicken. Serve warm.

Apple Pastry Tart

Yom Tov means food…symbolic and delicious – but a lot of it! Here’s a light and airy dessert that is not light on taste!! This Apple Pastry Tart is a flavorful and beautiful end to your amazing Yom Tov meal!

1 sheet puff pastry (from a 1 pound package), slightly defrosted

2 large red apples (such as paula red) approximately ½ pound each

2 tablespoons sugar

non-stick vegetable spray

¼ cup honey

Preheat oven to 400° F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.

Roll one sheet of pastry dough into an 11”x 11” rectangle. Invert an 11 inch tart pan and cut out a large round circle from the pastry dough.

Core and quarter the apples. Use a mandolin to thinly slice the apples. Arrange the slices in concentric circles on the top of the pastry. Save one large peel and cut it into a 1 ½ ” circle to finish center. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons sugar over the top of the tart. Spray tart generously with non-stick vegetable spray. Bake for 25 minutes until golden brown.

Here are a few tricks to make it easier to create this pretty dessert:

To cut out the shape of the tart use a large tart pan (10” or 11”) inverted to act as a “cookie cutter” to cut the dough. If the pan doesn’t have sharp edges, using the pan as a template, cut out the shape with a paring knife. Using the tart pan makes a perfect circle crust and gives the edges of the pastry a pretty scalloped edge.

A mandolin is a really handy kitchen tool. They can range dramatically in price, but for this recipe an inexpensive one works just as well. Once you have it you can use it to slice any kind of vegetables or fruit – it’s a great tool to have in your kitchen. If you don’t have a mandolin, you can cut the apples into 1/16th inch slices using a very sharp knife.

Featured at Aish.com:

About the Author

Sharon Matten lives in Chicago and is a Freelance Pastry Chef, Kosher Food Writer & Blogger, Cable TV guest Chef, Wilton Cake Instructor, Cookbook Contributing Editor, Electrical Engineer, Wife & Mom (not in order of importance!). She writes the weekly www.koshereveryday.com blog about cooking kosher with a family and busy life – pictures and recipes included! To get more great recipes, and to find out more information about Sharon Matten go to www.koshereveryday.com.

The opinions expressed in the comment section are the personal views of the commenters. Comments are moderated, so please keep it civil.

Visitor Comments: 10

(8)
Syd,
September 11, 2012 6:18 PM

sparlow@verizon.net

YUMMY

(7)
Jackie,
September 29, 2011 1:58 PM

Great recipes!

Thanks for the amazing recipes! I made the apples and butternut squash and everyone loved it! I also added raisens to mine and replaced the apple jelly with apple sauce and date honey, and added some cloves and pumpkin spice mix. Great stuff! Super excited to try the kugel next.

Sharon Matten,
October 2, 2011 1:29 AM

Thanks so much!

Thanks so much for your comments - and your great additions to the recipe! I'd love to hear how your kugel turns out! Sharon

(6)
marcy,
September 26, 2011 10:22 PM

a recipe for noodle kugle

Does anyone have a decent "older" recipe for noodle kugle with raisins and no fruit cocktail. Nobody in my family ever thought to write down my grandmother's recipes.
THanks

(5)
Sharon Matten,
September 25, 2011 11:22 PM

Thanks & Updates

Thanks everyone! Just a small update...you can find apple jelly at your local grocery store in the regular Jelly department. Any questions...please let me know!

(4)
Sherrie,
September 25, 2011 7:53 PM

Where do you use the honey?

The Apple Pastry Tart recipe calls for a 1/4 cup of honey but the recipe doesn't show a use for it. Also, can you use a shallow pie dish instead of a tart pan?

Sharon,
September 27, 2011 1:25 AM

Oops!! Thanks for catching that!!

When you take the tart out of the oven, drizzle the 1/4 cup of honey evenly over the top. Allow to cool slightly before serving.
Thanks Sherrie for being so observant!! (Sorry for the omission!)

(3)
Gladys,
September 24, 2011 10:52 PM

Re: the apple cinnamon challah kugel

I tried this recipe and we loved it here at home! Thanks for a great recipe!

(2)
Denise,
September 21, 2011 1:20 PM

Some very unique and easy ideas.

Thanks, these look great.

(1)
Anonymous,
September 19, 2011 1:18 PM

I always look for new recipes for the Yomim Tovim. I will certainly try some of yours. Thank you for sharing.
CS

I want to know about the concept of "sin" due to Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Knowledge. The Christian concept of sin revolves around the fall of the man and the "original sin." Does Judaism view it the same way?

The Aish Rabbi Replies:

Adam and Eve were punished according to their actions. In other words, God laid down the conditions for Adam and Eve to live in the garden, provided they would not eat from the Tree of Knowledge. However, if they were to eat from that tree they would be punished by experiencing death. (If they had not eaten from the tree, they would have remained immortal.)

This sets down the basic principle in Judaism of Reward and Punishment. Basic to this is that every person has the choice of doing good or bad. When a person chooses "good" – as defined by God – he is able to draw close to God. In other words, every individual has a chance to "gain salvation" through his own actions.

My understanding of Christianity, however, is that the Original Sin has infected all of mankind to the point where individuals are incapable of achieving salvation through their own initiative. Man is "totally depraved" and therefore his only hope of salvation is through the cross.

This belief is contrary to the teachings of Judaism. From the Torah perspective, an individual does not need to rely on anyone else to atone for them. In Judaism, sins can be "erased" altogether by sincere repentance and a firm resolution never to repeat the mistakes.

For more on this, read "Their Hollow Inheritances" by Michael Drazin – www.drazin.com

Yahrtzeit of Moses in 1273 BCE (Jewish year 2488), on the same day of his birth 120 years earlier. (Consequently, "May you live to 120" has become a common Jewish blessing.) Moses was born in Egypt at a time when Pharaoh had decreed that all Jewish baby boys be drowned in the Nile River. His mother set him afloat in a reed basket, where he was -- most ironically -- discovered by Pharaoh's daughter and brought to Pharaoh's palace to be raised. When Moses matured, his heart turned to aid the Jewish people; he killed an Egyptian who was beating a Jew, and he fled to Midian where he married and had two sons. God spoke to Moses at the Burning Bush, instructing him to return to Egypt and persuade Pharaoh to "let My people go." Moses led the Jews through the ten plagues, the Exodus, and the splitting of the Red Sea. Seven weeks later, the Jews arrived at Mount Sinai and received the Torah, the only time in human history that an entire nation experienced Divine revelation. Over the next 40 years, Moses led the Jews through wanderings in the desert, and supervised construction of the Tabernacle. Moses died before being allowed to enter the promised Land of Israel. He is regarded as the greatest prophet of all time.

Lack of gratitude is at the root of discontent. In order to be consistently serene, we must master the attribute of being grateful to the Creator for all His gifts. As the Torah (Deuteronomy 26:11) states, "Rejoice with all the good the Almighty has given you." This does not negate our wanting more. But it does mean that we have a constant feeling of gratitude since as long as we are alive, we always have a list of things for which to be grateful.

[Just before Moses' death] God said to him, "This is the Land that I promised to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob" (Deuteronomy 34:4).

The Midrash says that Moses pleaded to live long enough to be able to enter the Promised Land. He surrendered his soul only after God instructed him to enter Heaven and inform the Patriarchs that the Israelites had come to their Land and that God had indeed fulfilled His promise to give the Land of Israel to their descendants. To fulfill God's will was dearer to Moses than his craving to enter the Land.

It is only natural to cling to life, and the thought of leaving this world is depressing. However, if a person develops the attitude that he lives only in order to fulfill God's will, then life and death are no longer polar opposites, because he lives to do the will of God, and when that will requires that he leave this world, he will be equally obedient.

The seventh day of Adar is the anniversary of Moses' death. He wanted to enter the Promised Land so that he could fulfill the commandments and thereby have a new opportunity to fulfill the Divine wish. He surrendered his soul willingly when he was told that there was a special commandment for him to perform, one that could only be achieved after leaving this earth.

We refer to Moses as Rabbeinu, our teacher. He not only taught us didactically, but by means of everything he did in his life - and by his death, as well.

Today I shall...

try to dedicate my life to fulfilling the will of God, so that even when that will contradicts my personal desires, I can accept it with serenity.

With stories and insights,
Rabbi Twerski's new book Twerski on Machzor makes Rosh Hashanah prayers more meaningful. Click here to order...